Holland America Line cruise policies
Holland America Line Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Crew Appreciation, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what you get back if you cancel, the daily Crew Appreciation, how many Dressy Nights to pack for and who can sail. Figures are Holland America's own, for bookings made in the United States and Canada.
Deposit
Holland America sets the deposit by cruise length, stateroom type and the number of guests in the stateroom, and prints the exact amount on the booking confirmation. Much of the year a reduced promotional deposit is on offer.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Standard deposit | Varies by cruise length, stateroom type and guest count; shown at the time of booking |
| Promotional deposits (for example select 2027 cruises booked October 1 to November 2, 2026) | $99 per person |
| Grand World and Grand Voyages | Higher deposit, set per voyage |
Good to know
- The standard deposit is refundable until the cancellation schedule starts; promotions that state a nonrefundable deposit keep it whenever you cancel, and 100% nonrefundable promotions refund nothing.
- Reduced promotional deposits are a smaller first payment, not a smaller cancellation charge: the schedule below applies to the full cruise price.
- Holland America can hold a credit card authorization for the deposit amount when you book; it drops off once the payment posts.
- Your SmartCruiser invoice shows the exact deposit, the final payment date and the cancellation schedule that applies to your booking.
Final payment
The balance must reach Holland America by the deadline below or the booking cancels automatically. Book inside the window and the full fare is due at booking.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Every cruise and cruisetour except Grand World and Grand Voyages, booked on or after September 29, 2026 for 2027 or later | 120 days before travel |
| Grand World and Grand Voyage sailings and their segments | 120 days before travel |
Bookings made before September 29, 2026 (and 2026 departures booked later)
Reservations keep the deadline printed on their confirmation.
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Cruises of 4 days or fewer (bookings before November 5, 2025) | 75 days before travel |
| Cruises of 5 to 13 days and cruisetours (not Asia, Australia or South America) | 90 days before travel |
| Cruises of 14 days or longer, all Asia, Australia and South America cruises, Grand Voyages | 120 days before travel |
Good to know
- The 120-day rule also reaches some earlier bookings: selected Caribbean cruises opened from June 30, 2026 departing October 2027 or later, Europe and transatlantic cruises opened from July 29, 2026 departing March 2028 or later, and Alaska cruises and cruisetours opened from August 25, 2026 departing April 2028 or later.
- Collector's Voyages (two cruises combined) follow the schedule of the longer segment.
- Online check-in opens once the booking is paid in full.
Cancellation charges
Holland America states its schedule as the refund you receive, calculated on the total cruise price; the rest is the cancellation charge. Taxes, fees and port expenses are refunded in full. Air, transfers and hotel packages booked through Holland America follow the same schedule.
Bookings made on or after September 29, 2026 for sailings in 2027 or later
Every cruise and cruisetour except Grand World and Grand Voyages.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days or more | Full refund (nonrefundable deposits excepted) |
| Any length | 91 to 119 days | 75% refund (25% charge) |
| Any length | 61 to 90 days | 50% refund (50% charge) |
| Any length | 60 days or fewer | No refund |
| Grand World and Grand Voyages | 120 days or more | Full refund |
| Grand World and Grand Voyages | 113 to 119 days | Full refund less the deposit |
| Grand World and Grand Voyages | 76 to 112 days | 50% refund |
| Grand World and Grand Voyages | 75 days or fewer | No refund |
Bookings made November 5, 2025 to September 28, 2026 (and 2026 departures booked later)
Also applies to 2026 departures booked on or after September 29, 2026.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Cruises of 13 days or fewer and cruisetours (not Asia, Australia, South America) | 90 days or more | Full refund (nonrefundable deposits excepted) |
| Cruises of 13 days or fewer and cruisetours | 83 to 89 days | Full refund less the deposit |
| Cruises of 13 days or fewer and cruisetours | 46 to 82 days | 50% refund |
| Cruises of 13 days or fewer and cruisetours | 45 days or fewer | No refund |
| Cruises of 14 days or longer, Asia, Australia and South America, Grand Voyages | 120 days or more | Full refund (nonrefundable deposits excepted) |
| Cruises of 14 days or longer, Asia, Australia and South America, Grand Voyages | 113 to 119 days | Full refund less the deposit |
| Cruises of 14 days or longer, Asia, Australia and South America, Grand Voyages | 76 to 112 days | 50% refund |
| Cruises of 14 days or longer, Asia, Australia and South America, Grand Voyages | 75 days or fewer | No refund |
Bookings made on or before November 4, 2025
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Cruises of 4 days or fewer | 75 days or more | Full refund |
| Cruises of 4 days or fewer | 68 to 74 days | Full refund less the deposit |
| Cruises of 4 days or fewer | 31 to 67 days | 50% refund |
| Cruises of 4 days or fewer | 30 days or fewer | No refund |
| Cruises of 5 days or longer (except 25+ day cruises) and Europe 7 to 42 days | 90 days or more | Full refund |
| Cruises of 5 days or longer and Europe 7 to 42 days | 83 to 89 days | Full refund less the deposit |
| Cruises of 5 days or longer and Europe 7 to 42 days | 46 to 82 days | 50% refund |
| Cruises of 5 days or longer and Europe 7 to 42 days | 45 days or fewer | No refund |
| Cruises of 25 days or longer and Grand Voyages | 120 days or more | Full refund |
| Cruises of 25 days or longer and Grand Voyages | 113 to 119 days | Full refund less the deposit |
| Cruises of 25 days or longer and Grand Voyages | 76 to 112 days | 50% refund |
| Cruises of 25 days or longer and Grand Voyages | 75 days or fewer | No refund |
Good to know
- A cancellation counts from the day Holland America receives it; SmartCruiser cancels for you until seven days before travel, after that you call Holland America directly.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on. Cancellation Protection Plan premiums are not refunded.
- Name changes and sail-date changes are treated as a cancellation and a new booking.
- No refund for a no-show, for leaving the ship early or for cancelling once the cruise has started.
- Holland America's optional Cancellation Protection Plan (from $79 per person) refunds 80% of eligible payments for a cancellation up to 24 hours before travel for any reason; the Platinum plan refunds 90% any time before travel and adds medical and interruption cover.
Gratuities
Holland America calls its daily gratuity Crew Appreciation. It is added to each guest's shipboard account and shared with dining, housekeeping and galley staff across the fleet. You can prepay it when you book or adjust it on board.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Inside, Ocean View and Verandah staterooms | $18 per guest, per day |
| Suites (Vista, Signature, Neptune and Pinnacle) | $20 per guest, per day |
Good to know
- A 20% service charge is added to beverages, bar retail items, specialty restaurant cover charges and a la carte dining; 18% to spa and salon services.
- Have It All fares include prepaid Crew Appreciation, and so do some Early Booking Bonus offers; the military, teacher, healthcare and first-responder credits do not.
- The amount is adjustable at Guest Services at any time during the cruise.
- Ask SmartCruiser to prepay it when you book and it appears on your invoice, not on your shipboard account.
Dress code
Casual by day, smart casual most evenings, and a set number of Dressy Nights depending on the length of the voyage. Black tie has never been required.
Daytime
Casual attire throughout the ship; shirts or cover-ups and footwear are always required indoors.
Smart casual (most evenings)
Slacks or nice jeans with a collared shirt or sweater, skirts, dresses or pantsuits. The standard in the Dining Room and specialty restaurants.
Dressy Nights
Collared shirts with a jacket and dress slacks, cocktail dresses, dressy pantsuits or skirts and blouses. Tuxedos and gowns are welcome, never required, and Holland America does not rent formal wear.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Under 4 days | 0 |
| 4 to 6 days | 1 |
| 7 to 13 days | 2 |
| 14 to 20 days | 3 |
| 21 to 28 days | 4 |
| 29 to 38 days | 5 |
| 39 days or longer | 6 or more (Grand World Voyage varies) |
House rules
- Not permitted in table-service restaurants: shorts, pool and beachwear, distressed jeans and men's tank tops.
- Dressy Nights are never scheduled on embarkation day or the final night of the cruise; the ship may move them around port days.
- Each evening's dress recommendation is listed in the Daily Program and the Navigator app.
Age rules
Holland America's age rules are the same on every sailing; a few itineraries change the drinking age. Age is counted on the day of embarkation.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing: minimum age to book and travel without a guest of 21 or older in the stateroom | 21 |
| Family groups travelling with a parent or legal guardian in the party: minimum age per stateroom | 16 |
| Groups: at least one qualifying adult for every five guests under 21 | 21 |
Stateroom assignment
No guest under 21 may book a cruise, and every guest under 21 must share a stateroom with a guest of 21 or older who takes responsibility for them during the cruise. Families booking more than one stateroom can put guests of 16 or older in their own room as long as a parent or legal guardian is sailing with them. Groups need one adult of 21 or older for every five guests under 21.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Most cruises | 6 months on the day of embarkation |
| Cruises with more than 2 consecutive sea days, including transoceanic, South America, Asia, South Pacific and Hawaii itineraries | 12 months |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing unless the ship announces otherwise | 21 |
| Selected sailings outside the United States where the ship applies the local age | Under 21, as posted on board |
Good to know
- Casino and gaming: 18 and older. Shipboard accounts are opened for guests 18 and older.
- Guests who will enter the 24th week of pregnancy by the last day of the cruise cannot sail.
- Club HAL takes ages 3 to 12 and The Loft ages 13 to 17; infants must be toilet trained to use the pools.
- Guests of legal drinking age may bring wine and champagne on board for a corkage fee.
- An infant who does not meet the age rule is denied boarding with no refund, so check the embarkation day against the birthday before you book.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Holland America price drops and promotions and reprice the booking when the line allows it.
- We handle cancellations, date changes and stateroom moves with Holland America directly and tell you the exact refund before you decide.
- Prepaid Crew Appreciation, Have It All, flights, hotels and the Cancellation Protection Plan go on your invoice if you want them, and your Mariner Society number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Holland America's own offers on every sailing. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 13, 2026 against Holland America Line's own pages: Cancellation policy, Cruise contract (age, alcohol, casino, payment), Crew Appreciation rates, Dress code, Minimum age, Promotion terms and conditions. These payment and cancellation terms are the ones Holland America Line publishes for bookings made in the United States and Canada. Holland America changed them for bookings made on or after September 29, 2026 that depart in 2027 or later; the earlier schedules are shown for bookings made before that date. Grand World and Grand Voyages, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have their own conditions. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Holland America Line policy FAQ
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Ask a Holland America Line specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.